Chain.



PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904.

C. A. MANN.

CHAIN.

APPLIOATIONYFILBD MAY 22, 1903 N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented November 15, 1904.

PATENT FFICE.

CHAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,768, dated November15, 1904.

Application filed May 22, 1903. Serial No. 158,337. (No model.)

To all 7.0720772, it natty concern:

Be it known that I, OHARLns A. MANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Chains, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to chains of that character inwhich each of the links composing the chain is made from sheet metal andformed with two parallel closed eyes or rings and a loop arranged in aplane at right angles to the plane of the eyes and which engages in thetwo eyes of the adjoining link.

One object of the invention is to provide a strong and inexpensive chainof this character constructed of links which are detachably orseparately connected in such manner that a link can be removed fromorinserted in the chain at any point in its length without separatingother links of the chain, thus making it possible to quickly open orsplice the chain.

Another object of the invention is to so form the links that the latterwill not collapse or bend under strain and their strength will not beimpaired by opening and closing the links when disconnecting andconnecting the same.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a section ofchain embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof.Fig. 3 is a horizontal section thereof. Fig. 4 is a plan view of thesheetmetal blank from which the link is made. Fig. 5 isatransversesection in line 5 5, Fig. 4.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

The blank from which the link is made is stamped from sheet metal andhas two closed eyes or rings A B, which are joined by ashort connectingportion C and a long narrow tongue D, which extends from the outer endof one of the eyes. The shape of the eyes may be varied; but they arepreferably elongated, having long straight sides and short rounded ends,as shown in Fig. 41. This shape of the blanks enables them to be cutfrom a sheet of metal with very little waste.

The tongue and portion C, connecting the two eyes, are preferablycorrugated or made concave-convex in cross-section, as indicated at (Zd, respectively. In practice the corrugations are formed in oneoperation with the cutting of the blanks by the stamping-dies. The linkis formed by bending the blank at the connecting portion between the twoeyes, one eye folded or doubled back toward the other and bending thetongue to partially form the loop E and the hook F at the end of thetongue. The partially looped and hooked tongue of onelink is then passedthrough the two eyes of the adjoining link and the hooked end of thetongue passed between the two eyes and engaged with the end of the uppereye of the link on which the tongue is formed, the eyes being pressedtogether and the hook flattened to complete the connection.

The described manner of joining the links makes a very strongconnection, for the hooked end of the tongue is confined between the twoeyes of its link and is pinched or clamped between the eyes when thechain is strained, thus making it practically impossible to straightenout the hooks and disengage the links when the chain is under strain.Nevertheless any link can be detached from its adjoining link by openingits hook and removing the loop from the eyes in which it is engaged. Theloop E is greatly strengthened and prevented from collapsing understrain by corrugating the same as described. The convexed inner face ofthe loop, which bears against the rounded ends of the eyes through whichit passes, also allows the links to swing freely laterally, thus makingthe chain much more flexible and desirable. By corrugating the portionof the links connecting the two eyes the chain is not only strengthenedin use, but when a link is straightened out to detach it and again bentback to its proper form it is not broken or weakened, as itwould be ifthe connecting portion between the eyes was flat in cross-section.

I claim as my invention 1. A chain formed of links, each link having twoeyes and a loop, said loop extending from one of said eyes and passingthrough the adjoining link and being detachably connected with the otherof said eyes, substantially as set forth.

2. A chain formed of links, each link having two eyes and a loop, saidloop extending from one of said eyes and passing through the adjoininglink and having a hooked end detachably connected with'the other of saideyes, substantially as set forth.

3. A chain formed of links, each link having two eyes and a loop, saidloop extending from one of said eyes and passing through the adjoininglink and having a hooked end passing between said eyes and engaging theother of said eyes, substantially as set forth.

4:. A chain formed of links, each link having two substantially paralleleyes, one of said eyes being extended to form a loop, said loop passingthrough the adjoining link and having a hooked end detachably connectedwith the other of said eyes, substantially as set forth.

5. A chain formed of links, each link having two eyes and a loop, oneend of said loop being permanently attached to one of said eyes and theother end detachably connected with the other of said eyes, said loopbeing detachably connected with the adjoining link, substantially as setforth.

6. A chain formed of links each having two eyes and a loop, the loop ofeach link passing through the eyes of the adjoining link and having ahooked end which passes between the eyes and engages one eye of the linkon which the loop is formed, substantially as set fort 1.

7. A chain-link having two eyes and a loop, said loop extending from oneof said eyes and being closed and detachably connected with the other ofsaid eyes, substantially as set forth.

8. A chain-link having two eyes and a loop, said eyes being separated atthe loop end, said loop being permanently attached to one of said eyesand having a hooked end passing between said eyes and detachablyengaging the other of said eyes, substantially as set forth.

9. A chain-link having two substantially parallel eyes, one of said eyesbeing extended to form a loop, the end of said loop having a hookedportion detachably engaging the other of said eyes, substantially as setforth.

Witness my hand this 20th day of May, 1903.

CHAS. A. MANN.

Witnesses:

JNo. J. BONNER, C. M. BENTLEY.

